oven-roasted tomato sauce
At the end of summer, tomatoes are aplenty, and the best thing so preserve this goodness, is to make this delicious staple. Slow-roasting the tomatoes really brings out the sweetness of the tomatoes and saving the summer sunshine and flavors. You can also try making a wonderful Spicy Cardamom Tomato Chutney with this end-of-season bounty.
ingredients
This recipe makes about 4 cups
6 lbs fresh tomatoes
1 medium red bell pepper
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
½-1 tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, optional
Handful of fresh basil
method
Preheat oven to 325°F. Quarter the tomatoes and the peppers. Place onto one or two baking sheets. Toss with chopped onion, garlic, olive oil, salt, and cayenne pepper, if using. Roast for 1½ hours. Let cool and peel off skins (optional). Place into a food processor and puree with fresh basil. Fill clean jars, and loosely cover to cool. When cooled, pour a little olive oil on the surface to protect bacteria from forming, and seal tightly. This will keep in the fridge for a month, or you can also freeze what you won't need right away. For proper preserving / canning methods, click here.
